1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a method of cleaning and sterilizing an apparatus for continuously forming electrolyzed water, as well as an apparatus for continuously forming electrolyzed water having a mechanism for conducting the method described above.
2. Related Art Statement
An apparatus for forming a electrolyzed water by continuously passing water such as tap water and preparing the same into alkaline water and acidic water, optionally, with addition of a solution of chemicals such as minerals has to be cleaned for electrolysis vessels and water channels after long time use. For instance, since precipitates such as of calcium are deposited in a cathode chamber or on an electrolysis diaphragm of the electrolysis vessel to lower the electrolyzing efficiency, there precipitates be removed. Further, since a water purifier using activated carbon is generally disposed in a water supply pipe line of the raw water, residual chlorine in the water is removed and miscellaneous bacteria tend to be generated in the water channels or microfilters downstream of the filter, so that cleaning and sterilization are necessary either periodically or occasionally.
For cleaning for electrolyzed water forming apparatus of this type, a method of applying cleaning under electrolysis while switching the polarity of the electrode of the electrolysis vessel upon cleaning has been known. In this cleaning method, acidic water is passed to the channel for alkaline water in the usual formation of electrolyzed water, this audio water being capable of dissolving calcium and sterilizing bacteria.
However, since the electrolyzed water formed under inverted polarity upon cleaning passes only the electrolysis vessel and the water discharging pipeline downstream thereof in this method, it has a drawback that a water supply channel upstream of the electrolysis vessel and a filtration water purifier such as a microfilter interposed in the water supply channel cannot be cleaned.